FIU Outfielder Justin Farmer Signs With San Diego Padres

Liam Rooney / Staff writer 

FIU baseball outfielder Justin Farmer has signed a free agent deal with the San Diego Padres and is now the second Panther heading to the MLB this week, joining pitcher Tyler Myrick drafted by the San Francisco Giants. 

The San Diego Padres currently have a 53-40 record and are in third place in the National League West Division. They also currently have MLB Pipeline’s sixth ranked farm system, with only five of their top 30 prospects being outfielders. 

A Florida native from Tampa, Farmer played two seasons at Wallace Community College in Alabama before transferring to FIU. During his time at Wallace, Farmer showed out with a .404 batting average and 16 home runs in two seasons. 

During his playing career with FIU, Farmer held a career batting average of .303, hitting 10 home runs, 13 doubles, and collecting 54 RBI’s in his two seasons. He committed only one error in the field and started in 64 of the 65 games he played in as a Panther.  

His junior year was cut short due to COVID-19, only playing in 15 games. 

Farmer still posted a .375 batting average, drove in 15 runs, and had a perfect 1.000% fielding percentage. Providing contributions both offensively and defensively, he became an integral part of FIU’s roster. 

In his final year, Farmer played in 50 games, starting in 49 of them.

His power hitting was displayed throughout the season as he blasted a team high nine home runs. Farmer was a threat in the batters box as out of his 46 hits, 18 were for extra bases. Posting a .279 batting average and a .992 fielding percentage, Farmer proved to be a stud on both ends. 

The road to the show for Farmer could take some time as he’ll need to prove himself to the Padres by performing well in the minor leagues, but his power bat and his stellar defense in the outfield can lead him on a path to the majors. 

Growing up in Riverview, Florida, a town just outside of Tampa, Farmer attended Riverview High School. In his four seasons at Riverview, Farmer played all four years on the varsity squad, having a career batting average of .275 in a total of 90 games. Hitting ten home runs and collecting 47 RBI’s, Farmer was the 40th ranked player in all of Florida leaving high school. 

The Padres are a young team centered around star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. During the last few seasons the Padres organization has shown they will give young talent a chance, something that could benefit Farmer in his journey to making it to the MLB. A constantly competitive organization, the Padres give Farmer a great chance at a successful career.